In 2007 Japan’s Ministry of Environment began asking companies to voluntarily desist production and sales of inefficient incandescent light bulbs. Toshiba obliged, and others followed. Similar movements are happening all around the world and it’s clear that it’s only a matter of time before the incandescent light bulb is completely replaced by its more eco-friendly brethren.

Product designer Yuma Kuno decided to preserve this nostalgic form by turning incandescent light bulbs into flower vases. Using real discarded bulbs, Kuno simply opened a hole and turned an obsolete object into something completely new. The filament – a vital component of the bulb – even gets repurposed as a holder to keep the stem in place.

all photos by Satoru Ikegami

At 26, Kuno is a young artist turned product designer. After graduating from Tokyo Zokei University he worked as assistant to the artist Yasuhiro Suzuki, which explains the playful nature of Kuno’s work.